218 cases of scrub typhus in U.P: State upgrading more labs for detection of infectious disease

According to data available with the state health department, Amethi has reported 14 cases of the disease so far, Ghaziabad 37, Ayodhya 13, Azamgarh 11, Balia and Bahraich 10 each and Jaunpur two.

: After reporting 218 cases of it, Uttar Pradesh is gearing up to boost testing for the diagnosis of scrub typhus, a life-threatening infectious disease, in districts.

Symptoms of the disease are similar to that of vector-borne diseases and include fever, headache, body ache, rashes and muscle pain (For representation)

According to data available with the state health department, Amethi has reported 14 cases of the disease so far, Ghaziabad 37, Ayodhya 13, Azamgarh 11, Balia and Bahraich 10 each and Jaunpur two. Meerut has reported a casualty.

“We are upgrading our labs and also health facilities in the state so that they can accurately diagnose scrub typhus,” said Dr Lilly Singh, director general of medical health.

Scrub typhus is caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi, and spreads through the bite of infected chiggers (larval mites). Its symptoms are similar to that of vector-borne diseases and include fever, headache, body ache, rashes and muscle pain.

“We have labs at divisional levels and samples from districts come to these labs for the testing of scrub typhus. With more labs coming up, samples will be tested possibly in the same district or the adjacent district,” said a senior health official.